Maximizing Freshness: How Long Can Uncooked Veal Stay in the Fridge?

Veal is the meat from a calf or young beef animal. A veal calf is raised until about 16 to 18 weeks of age, weighing up to 450 pounds. Male dairy calves are used in the veal industry. If dairy cows want to keep making milk, they have to give birth. However, male dairy calves aren’t very useful to dairy farmers. A small percentage are raised to maturity and used for breeding.

Calf: A calf is a young cow of either sex that is less than 9 months old and doesn’t weigh more than 750 pounds. “Bob” veal is a veal calf that is sold up to three weeks old or 150 pounds. “Special-Fed” veal is usually fed nutritionally balanced milk or soy based diets. These specially controlled diets contain iron and 40 other essential nutrients. The majority of veal calves are “special-fed”.

Choose veal in the fresh meat case that is grayish pink in color and firm to the touch. You can find vacuum-packed veal in the self-service case. It will be darker red because it hasn’t been exposed to oxygen. Look for packages that feel cool to the touch, don’t have any holes or wear, and don’t have a lot of extra liquid. Always check the “sell-by” date.

Purchase raw meats last. Make sure all meats – whether raw, pre-packaged or from the deli are kept refrigerated. Fresh meats may contaminate other grocery items. The best way to prevent this cross-contamination is to always keep fresh meats from other items. Put raw meat packages in a plastic bag so juices won’t drip onto other foods. Pack raw meats in an ice chest if it will take more than an hour to get home. Keep ice chest in the passenger area of the car during warm weather. Take meats straight home to the refrigerator or freezer.

Product Dating: Product dating, applying “sell-by” or “use-by” dates, is not required by federal regulations. However, many stores and processors may voluntarily choose to date packages of raw veal or processed veal products. Use or freeze products with a “sell-by” date within three to five days of purchase. If the manufacturer has determined a “use-by” date, observe it. It’s always best to buy a product before its date expires. It’s not important if a date expires after freezing veal, because all foods stay safe while properly frozen.

Checking the Product Each animal and its internal organs are inspected for signs of disease. The “Passed and Inspected by USDA” seal ensures that the veal is wholesome and free from disease. Veal must be inspected, but it can be graded for quality if the plant wants to, and the plant pays to have it graded.

Quality grade refers to the eating quality of the meat. The grade of veal and calf carcasses is based on two main factors: conformation (the amount of lean, fat, and bone-in carcass) and quality of the lean. In addition, the color of the lean carcasses is key in differentiating between veal, calf and beef carcasses. The five grades for veal are as follows: prime, choice, good, standard and utility.

Veal can be cut into seven main pieces for retail sale: leg (round), sirloin, loin, rib, shoulder, foreshank, and breast. When examining a package of veal, the label can help the purchaser identify the meat in the package.

For instance, a label that says “veal rib chop” tells you that the meat inside the package is “veal,” that the cut is “chop,” and that it is the primal or large wholesale cut from the “rib.” This information helps consumers know what type of preparation method to use. These are the veal cuts that are easiest to find right now: rib chops, loin chops, cutlets, arm steak, blade steak, rib roast, breast, shanks, and round steak.

Refrigeration: Keep veal below 40 °F during storage. Store uncooked veal items together, separate from cooked foods. Refrigerate or freeze fresh veal IMMEDIATELY after bringing it home. NEVER leave veal in a hot car or sitting out at room temperature. You can keep whole cuts of fresh veal in their original packaging in the coldest part of the fridge for three to five days after buying them. Ground veal can be kept in the fridge for one or two days. Keep veal refrigerated until you are ready to cook it. When taking cooked veal to a different place to eat, keep it in an insulated container or ice chest until you’re ready to eat it. Cooked whole cuts of veal are at their best when refrigerated no longer than two to three days. Cooked ground veal is best when refrigerated no longer than one or two days.

Do not cook fresh veal for three to five days after buying it; instead, freeze whole cuts of it. Freeze ground veal if you do not plan to cook it within one to two days after purchase.

Before you freeze veal parts, wrap each one separately in freezer paper or aluminum foil and label them so it’s easy to pick out just the right number of parts to thaw for a single meal. Be sure to press the air out of the package before freezing. If you plan to freeze veal in its original wrapping, overwrap with freezer bag or paper. Cooked foods can be frozen the same way fresh foods are, unless they were made with a sauce or gravy. If they were, put them in a rigid container with a lid that fits tightly.

Cleanliness: Always wash hands thoroughly with hot soapy water before preparing foods and after handling raw veal. Don’t let raw meat or juices touch ready-to-go foods either in the refrigerator or during preparation. Don’t put cooked foods on the same plate that held raw veal. Always wash utensils that have touched raw meat with hot, soapy water before using them for cooked meats. Wash counters, cutting boards and other surfaces raw meats have touched.

Thawing: Thaw uncooked veal in the refrigerator or in cold water. NEVER thaw veal at room temperature. Allow a 24-hour thawing period. This way of defrosting raw veal will keep it safe in the fridge for up to five days before cooking. If you don’t want to use the veal, you can safely freeze it again without cooking it first. Let the veal thaw in cold water. You can leave it in its original packaging or put it in a plastic bag that won’t let water in. Change the water every 30 minutes.

You can quickly thaw cooked or uncooked veal in the microwave, but you should plan to cook the meat right away after thawing because some parts of the food may get warm and start to cook during the microwave. It will take longer to thaw a whole roast or cuts, and it will depend on how many parts were frozen together. Use the DEFROST or MEDIUM-LOW setting, according to the manufacturer’s directions. Turn the roast and separate parts as they thaw, taking care the meat does not begin to cook. Repeat as needed. When you defrost food in the microwave or with cold water, you should cook it first because it may have been kept at temperatures above 40 °F. For a more detailed outline of safe handling and cold storage of veal, refer to Table 1.

It is safe to cook frozen veal in the oven, or on the stove or grill without defrosting. Estimate one-third to one-half more cooking time depending upon the size of the meat. Broil frozen veal farther away from the heat source; preheat the skillet when pan-frying or pan-broiling. Do not cook frozen veal in a slow cooker.

Marinating: Marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Boil used marinade before brushing on cooked veal. Discard any uncooked, leftover marinade after use because it contains raw juices, which may harbor bacteria.

Rinsing: There is no need to rinse raw veal before cooking. Any bacteria that might be present on the surface would be destroyed by cooking.

Partial Cooking or Browning: You should never brown or partially cook veal, then put it in the fridge and cook it later. Any bacteria that were there would not have been killed. It is safe to microwave or partially cook veal RIGHT AWAY before putting it on a hot grill or in the oven to finish cooking.

Importance of Kitchen Thermometers: One of the critical factors in controlling bacteria in food is controlling temperature. At low temperatures, pathogenic microorganisms grow very slowly. In the middle range of temperatures, they multiply quickly, but at high temperatures, they die. For safety, foods must be cooked thoroughly. If you don’t want to get food poisoning from undercooked veal, you must use a meat thermometer while cooking it.

A thermometer is the only reliable way to make sure food is safe and to find out when it’s “done.” For something to be safe, it needs to be cooked to a temperature high enough to kill any bacteria that could be harmful that were in it. Recent research has shown that color and texture indicators are not reliable.

When cooking whole veal cuts or parts, put the thermometer in the thickest part of the meat, away from the bone, fat, and gristle. The thermometer may be inserted sideways if necessary. When the food being cooked is irregularly shaped, the temperature should be checked in several places. Proper cooking times for veal can be viewed in Table 2.

Whole Muscle Meats: For safety and quality reasons, whole muscle meat should be cooked to at least 145 °F for medium-rare, and then it should be rested for 4 minutes before being carved or eaten. Whole muscle meat should be cooked to 160 °F for medium-rare, and 170 °F for well-done.

Ground Veal: Ground veal must be cooked thoroughly to kill harmful bacteria. Whole muscle meat is clean on the inside, but when ground veal is made, the inside meat is exposed to bacteria that could be on the outside, in the air, on the tools, or on people’s hands. To get rid of these germs, food safety experts say that ground veal should be cooked to at least 155 °F. This step, while very simple, offers the best protection that consumers have to serve ground veal safely.

Putting veal pieces of different sizes in the microwave: Put the thick pieces on the outside of the dish and the thin pieces in the middle. Place the dish or rack in the microwave and set the power to medium-high or medium. Place a roast in an oven-cooking bag or in a covered pot. Refer to the manufacturer’s directions that accompany the microwave oven for suggested cooking times.

Before cooking, put in a thermometer that can work in a microwave, or take the meat out of the microwave and use a digital meat thermometer in several places to make sure it has reached the right temperature. When cooking meat in the microwave, it needs to reach a temperature of at least 165 °F on the inside and stay covered for at least two minutes. Follow standing or rest times given.

Wash hands with soap and water before serving or eating food. Serve cooked products on clean plates with clean utensils and clean hands. If the dish hasn’t been washed with soap and hot water, don’t put cooked food on top of raw food. Hold hot foods above 140 °F and cold foods below 40 °F. Never leave foods, raw or cooked, at room temperature longer than two hours. Foods shouldn’t be left out for more than an hour on days that are 90 °F or warmer.

Always use clean utensils and storage containers for safe storage. Divide large amounts of leftovers into small, shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator. It might take the next day for this much food to cool down, so don’t put big pots of gravy in the fridge to cool down. Wrap cooked meat in plastic wrap or aluminum foil or put it in a container with a tight lid to keep it in the fridge. Use the meat within two to three days. For frozen storage, wrap meat in packaging that is meant to keep out moisture and vapor, and use the meat within two to three months. If you may have kept the food refrigerated for too long, throw it out. Never taste food that looks or smells strange to see if you can still use it.

Internal Temperature: Cook at least to an internal temperature of 145 °F with a 4 minute rest.

*Pan frying, which is often called “sautéing,” is a quick cooking method. Meat is placed in small amount of heated oil and cooked on medium-high heat. **Braising means roasting or simmering less tender meats in a pan with a tight lid and a small amount of liquid.

Pamela Schmutz, Retired HGIC Food Safety Specialist, Clemson UniversityE.H. Hoyle, PhD, Emeritus Faculty, Food Safety Specialist, Clemson University

This information is given with the understanding that it is not meant to be biased. The Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service does not endorse any brand names or registered trademarks, and products or manufacturers that are not named are not meant to be biased either. All recommendations are for South Carolina conditions and may not apply to other areas. Use pesticides only according to the directions on the label. All pesticide use suggestions are only for South Carolina and were legal at the time of publication. However, state and federal regulatory agencies can change the status of registration and use patterns at any time. Follow all directions, precautions and restrictions that are listed.

Ask the Test Kitchen: How Long Will Meat Last in the Fridge?

FAQ

How long can you keep uncooked veal in the fridge?

Is raw meat OK in the fridge for 4 days?

How can you tell if veal has gone bad?

How long can raw meat stay in the fridge after defrosting?

How long does ground veal last in the fridge before cooking?

Ground veal that has been defrosted in the fridge can be kept for an additional 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator before cooking; ground veal that was thawed in the microwave or in cold water should be cooked immediately. How long does ground veal last in the fridge once it is cooked?

How long does frozen veal last?

For veal, the USDA recommends cooking freshly refrigerated ground veal in 1 to 2 days, with other cuts keeping up to 5 days, tops. If prepping your meal from frozen veal, thaw your meat in the refrigerator, in cold water, or zapping it in the microwave.

How long do veal chops last in the fridge?

Veal chops that have been defrosted in the fridge can be kept for an additional 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator before cooking; veal chops that were thawed in the microwave or in cold water should be cooked immediately. How long do veal chops last in the fridge once they are cooked?

Can you cook veal straight from the fridge?

Conversely, cooking your veal straight from the fridge is another of the biggest mistakes you’re making with steak, as doing so can impact the flavor and texture. For veal, the USDA recommends cooking freshly refrigerated ground veal in 1 to 2 days, with other cuts keeping up to 5 days, tops.